Principal Operations Engineer, Mechanical

ABOUT FLUIDSTACK We exist to make humanity more free. For most of human history, you farmed or you starved. Technology gave people more time for the things they wanted to do, instead of things they had to do. Powerful AI will be the biggest lever for human choice we've ever built - but only if models are aligned with what humanity actually wants. There are groups building AI who don't share these goals. Whoever deploys frontier compute infrastructure fastest will decide whether AI expands human freedom or shrinks it. We're singularly focused on delivering 10 to 100s of GWs of compute faster than anyone else, rethinking every layer of the stack. We acquire power, design and build data centers, and operate them - with teams spanning hardware and software. Speed and scale are our key differentiators. Come be a part of building civilization-scale infrastructure for AI. We hire people who care deeply about this problem space. If that is you, please apply! HOW WE OPERATE - Extreme ownership. Full autonomy. Own things end to end often taking on scope outside your core role without being asked to get things done. - Velocity. We drive everything forward as fast as possible. - First principles. Challenge every assumption. Zero analogy thinking, no egos, the best idea wins. - Love of the game. The frontier of AI is the most interesting problem of our time. We put in long hours at high intensity to push the frontier forward. THE DATA CENTER OPERATIONS TEAM Examples of key problems the team is working on - Operate at the scale of a nation, not a building. Accelerating toward 10s to 100s of GWs by the end of the decade, more than the entire electricity consumption of many countries. You won't just run a data center; you'll run infrastructure the size of a G7. - Fly the plane while it's being built. Running flawless operations inside a live construction zone, adapting in real time and turning the pace of build-out into our advantage. You will redefine operational excellence. - Write the playbook, don't inherit it. Most operators step into someone else's system. Here you build one, leaving your fingerprints on how the whole company runs. As we scale 100x, you'll set the standards, shape the operating model, and grow the team by the thousands. ROLE SCOPE - Serve as the most senior technical authority for operational mechanical and cooling infrastructure across the hyperscale AI data center fleet. - Lead site assessments and operational audits, and drive team technical readiness ahead of site activation. - Review designs and specifications from an operational lens, and feed operational learnings back into design and manufacturing as the build model becomes productized. - Be the senior voice on chillers, cooling towers, CDUs, and the liquid-cooling architectures AI infrastructure depends on. - Own mechanical operational readiness and the commissioning-to-operations handover for new sites. - Author and approve high-risk mechanical MOPs, EOPs, and AOPs, and lead root cause analysis on significant cooling events. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR The below is a starting point. We always make space for exceptional people, so if you don't fit this role exactly, tell us where you would. https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/fluidstack/05c2e69c-42f9-4fcb-9cf0-a467aaf98f1c - You've spent a career on critical mechanical systems and you treat thermal precision as non-negotiable for AI workloads. - You command chilled water, chillers, cooling towers, CRAH/CRAC, pumps, CDUs, and direct liquid cooling in live environments. - You've authored and executed high-risk mechanical MOPs and led root cause analysis on significant cooling events. - You assess operational readiness at any site, audit the posture, and raise the standard. - You teach and build the mechanical readiness of teams ahead of activation. - Bonus: Hyperscale or large colocation at hundreds of MW. Direct liquid cooling and CDU operations. ASHRAE TC 9.9. Chilled water plant optimization. Uptime Institute. SALARY & BENEFITS - Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity). - Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms. - Health, dental, and vision insurance. - Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms. Total compensation may also include equity in the form of restricted stock units. We are committed to pay equity and transparency. Fluidstack is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Fluidstack will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law. You will receive a confirmation email once your application has successfully been accepted. If there is an error with your submission and you did not receive a confirmation email, please email careers@fluidstack.io with your resume/CV, the role you've applied for, and the date you submitted your application-- someone from our recruiting team will be in touch.